Inland Empire Latino Art Association (exhibition)
Artist: Armando Aleman and Efren Montiel Jimenez
Year: 2013
Date of Action: September 2013
Region: North America
Location: San Bernardino, CA
Subject: Explicit Sexuality, Nudity, Political/Economic/Social Opinion, Racial/Ethnic, Sexual/Gender Orientation
Medium: Painting
Confronting Bodies: San Bernardino County Government Center
Description of Artwork: Three different paintings were on display at the County building for National Hispanic Heritage Month. They feature vivid colors depicting sun, water, and trees as well as nude figures. A nude woman sitting and standing, and a full frontal person.
The Incident: The County Board of Supervisors were accused of violating the first amendment right of the artists by asking them to remove the three specific paintings that contained nudity. The request of removal stemmed from complaints from people visiting the building.
Results of Incident: Government officials did not see their actions as unconstitutional. They disregarded the space as being a public forum. In November 2013, the ACLU of SoCal sued the County of San Bernardino. An outcome of the case has not yet been reached.
